


"Freeze!" And Other Temperature-Related Puns

by flye



Category: DCU, The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternative Universe - They're Both Very Puntastic, But whatever, But you're reading gay fanfiction so I'm guessing you've seen worse, Canon-Typical Violence, Enemies to Lovers, Fluff, Happy Ending, I mean seeing as this is very simular to canon one can only assume that Snart will still die, I've warned you enough, In the shape of puns, M/M, Minor Character Death, Please don't pun-ish me for my awfulness, Shameless Stealing of Canon Dialogue, So chill it with the pun-hate, Some angst, Sorrynotsorry about the awful puns, Swearing, They will at some point pun-ch eachother in the face probably, coldflash - Freeform, kinf of, poor attempts at humour, sorry that was the last pun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-05
Updated: 2017-07-05
Packaged: 2018-11-23 09:38:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11399931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flye/pseuds/flye
Summary: The one where Barry and Leonard can't stop pulling cold puns in their banter and before they know it they're full-on flirting with eachother. Who knew the way to a man's heart was cold hardcashpuns?





	"Freeze!" And Other Temperature-Related Puns

**Author's Note:**

> Look, I _know_ I should probably just type out the next chapter of my story but I've been thinking about this idea for months and I finally decided to just... Get it out. This is not well thought-out, and not super well written, either. English isn't my first language, so there might be some linguistic errors along the way - hopefully nothing too bad. I've shamelessly stolen parts of dialogue from S1 and 2 to some extent of The Flash, but after not too long I will stray from the canon dialogue towards my own take on it.
> 
> Sorry about the puns.
> 
> EDIT (2017-07-18): I must've been drunk when I typed this out, because I had so many errors that it was physically painful. My Grammarly had a field day with this one.

The hooded man pulled out the guard from the car and whacked him over the head with his rifle. The guard hit the pavement with a thud - unconscious - and the hooded man pointed his rifle at him, just one squeeze and he'd be dead.

"Hey!" A voice called out from above him. Walking across the truck was another disguised man, holding some sort of gun-like contraption. "Cool it, 158 seconds to go."

What the masked man didn't know was that in not too long, that statement would mean so much more than it did now. In not too long, that phrase wouldn't just be a way to keep his associate from killing a civilian, but it would have a whole other meaning.

Leonard imagined he would've smirked at himself for the pun if he knew back then. But he didn't, so what did it matter?

The masked man pointed his tool at the door to the truck and pulled the trigger, liquid nitrogen was shot at the door with a wshh and before they knew it the door was ready and the man threw himself against it. It smashed open and the masked man could now help himself to whatever was in there. The very second he was about to, however, a red blur suddenly appeared, accompanied with yellow sparks of electricity.

The blur collided with his team, rendering them unconscious or dazed, and lastly, it struck him. The man fell from the truck onto the cold, hard pavement with a groan. He removed his mask as he - Leonard Snart - looked after the blur, which he now saw was a man, as it ran away. Leonard heard some gunshots behind him, and suddenly the red blur returned, running past him and his team towards the shot driver.

Leonard smirked as he and his team of three other masked men got on their motorcycles and sped away. That man - the red man in the yellow lightning - had morals, it seems. And Leonard knew _just_ how to use them against him, should they ever cross roads again.

***

_"For someone who is so fast, you're really slow on improvising... Did you see anything that'll help us catch these guys?"_

_"Yeah... One of them lost his mask. I saw his face."_

***

Barry and Joe walked through one of the corridors at the CCPD after having cased the crime scene.

Joe handed Barry a book. "So look at these mug-shots of Central City's most wanted and see if you can-"

"It's him." Barry said, pointing at a picture of a mean-looking guy with a scowl, after he'd speed-searched for the face - handing over the book to Joe.

"Damn. Leonard Snart."

Barry almost scoffed. "Leonard? That's almost as bad as "Bartholomew"." 

"Snart ain't sexy, either." Joe just replied, and Barry made a face. He had to admit that the guy had been kinda handsome, but-- no. 

_'No, no, no. Stop it, Bartholomew. Get your head together.'_ He scolded himself as he tried to listen to what Joe had to say.

"Snart's father was a cop. A bad cop. Took it out on his kids until he got sent to prison."

"Snart's dad is in prison, too? We should start a club." Barry dead-panned, but Joe didn't shift an inch at his joke. Whatever, _he_ thought it was amusing. And that's all that matters, right?

***

"Freeze!" Leonard heard a voice tell him and he scoffed amused and peeked a glance at whoever it was that had uttered the phrase from below his fuzzy hood. He smiled when he saw who it was - _The Streak_.

"There's nowhere to run." The Streak mused, seeing as they were on a moving train, and Leonard just smirked at the man, his tone condescending as he replied. "I didn't see you before. Your mom know you're out past your bedtime, Streak?" 

"There's no need to hide your face, Snart. I know who you are."

Leonard raised his eyebrows. "Oh, do you now? Well then-" He smirked. " _Ice_ uppose I should introduce m _ice_ lf." He said, and Barry hardly even noticed his ice-puns. "My name is Leonard Snart... And who might you be, Scarlet?"

Barry huffed. "None of your concern."

"Aww, don't give me the cold shoulder, Streak. That's not _cool_."

Barry stood in silence for a second. "Did you- did you just pull a... A _cold pun?_

"Two, actually. Glad you not _ice_ d."

"That's not even how you pronounce that word."

Leonard shrugged. "Does it look as if I care?"

Barry sighed, and Leonard continued to taunt the man. "Well, now that we've... _Broken the ice_ , let's get to it."

Barry shook his head to get back on track (sorry, I didn't mean to pull that pun). "You really should've chosen something faster than a train if you wanted to get away, Snart." He said, a smile creeping onto his face as he spoke.

Leonard's smirk got even wider, and Barry could feel his face fall at Snart's next words. "That's if I wanted to get away."

"You see, I've seen your weakness. First at the armored car, and then at the museum." Leonard continued and Barry's mind short-circuited as he tried to figure out what he should do.

"So while you're busy saving all these people-" He continued, a waving motion with his arm at the civilians on board the train. "I will be busy saving m _ice_ lf." And at that he directed the cold gun towards the floor and shot, a white, cold flame erupting from it and soon the floor at that particular spot was gone. Leonard then proceeded to forcefully open the nearest door pair, the passengers were now screaming their heads off.

Leonard turned to look at them for a second, before turning back to Barry. And with a leap, he was off of the train, and Barry was left all alone amidst the panicked passengers - but not before Leonard had told him a gleeful "Good luck with that!".

Barry sighed. What a douche.

***

Barry got the last few people off the train before he threw himself off it, landing on the wet grass with a grunt. He was just about to stand up when he felt a burning - yet cold at the same time - sensation on his abdomen.

"Pretty fast, kid." Barry sighed when he realized who it was that was talking to him. "But not fast enough."

"Drop it!" Came another voice, and Barry nearly screamed out in happiness and relief. Snart turned his head to meet the person behind him - Cisco. "Prototype cold gun, four times the size - four times the strength."

Snart turned back to Barry. "I was wondering who you were talking to..."

"Hey!" Cisco called. "Unless you want to have a taste of your own medicine, I'd back the hell up - _Captain Cold_."

Leonard Snart smiled widely. Captain Cold? He couldn't have come up with something better himself, even if he tried to. He liked the ring of that... Captain Cold. Disregarding the fact that it made him sound like some comic book villain and/or a brand of cereal, it was kind of... _Cool_.

"I will shoot you." Cisco continued, anger now lacing his voice. Leonard's smile faded slightly as he looked back at the man in the red suit. He sighed.

"You win, kid." He started, before giving a quick glance at Barry's frozen midsection. He smirked. "I'd put some ice on that if I were you."

And then he left, walking away with the diamond.

Barry sighed yet again, a familiar thought made its way into his mind. 

What a douche.

***

Leonard fired the cold gun in the air, successfully catching the attention of the small group in the hangar. He flailed his arms as he spoke, gleefully. "Someone better call 911!"

Within a few minutes, the CCPD arrived - holding their brand new cold gun-resistant shields. "Snart, Freeze!" Yelled Joe, and Leonard couldn't help but to snicker.

"With pleasure." He commented in a voice just a snippet louder than a whisper as he fired the coldgun at the cops. Nothing happened. Leonard felt his smirk vanish and the panic set in. He fired again, yet it was to no avail - the blast just kept fading away as it hit the shields. "Mick!" He yelled, a desperation to his voice that Joe made a note of remembering for times when he needed a good laugh.

Mick peeked out from behind the airplane. "You call yourselves the heat?" He yelled, voice strong and slightly manic. " _I'm_ The Heat!" And at that he fired his flame gun at the officers, the fire licking them even behind their cold-resistant shields.

"Forget about them, Mick. Get ready for _Him_ " Leonard said, a twisted smile on his lips as he awaited the Flash. But Mick didn't stop. Leonard didn't know what it was, but he was suddenly feeling more than a little panicked. "Mick." He repeated, but his friend still didn't stop firing. _"Mick!"_ He tried again, but still nothing. Leonard felt the panic creep onto him even more, holding on to him and tearing his confidence away.

"Mick! We're leaving -- _now_." He simply said, careful not to let his panic and insecurities show on his voice as he made his demand. Mick soon found himself without a gun, as one of the officers managed to hit it with a bullet - rendering it useless.

And so they left the scene, leaving an inferno and two severely injured officers in their wake.

***

"Cop's bullet ruptured the secondary fuel chamber." Mick said, putting together the gun again after haven taken it apart for repairs. "Good thing you had me learn this gun inside and out before this, eh?" He continued as Leonard approached, and soon they were both pointing their weapons at each other.

"Give me one good reason to why I shouldn't kill you?" Leonard asked, his face grim. "You became obsessed out there, just like the last job."

"You're one to talk." Mick countered. "You used to count the seconds, dot the T's, cross the I's... Now all you care about is _The Flash_."

Leonard skipped a breath. What was happening, why did that name have such an effect on him? Was he _afraid_ of the Flash? No... No, it was something else. Something Leonard wasn't even going to think about. He was _not_ going to entertain that thought.

Nu-uh. Nope. nah. Ney. _No._

No way. He wasn't going to think about it - he was going to leave that thought far behind. He was going to shove that thought in a box and throw away the key. And the box.

He was not - _under any circomstances_ \- going to think that... That he had _any_ kind of posetive feelings towards the mysterious man in red.

He was his _nemesis_ for gods' sake - even if The Flash happened to have another nemesis, that wasn't him. Plus, what was it that the Flash had said earlier...?

 _"You can't spell 'Your Nemisis' without 'Miss You'."_ Leonard sighed inaudiably before replying to his partner in crime.

"We need to take him _out_ " he said, and somewhere inside him a little voice continued his sentence. "-to dinner."

***

Barry had almost given up hope. He had heard that Caitlin was safe, that the others had managed to save her from the warehouse where Mick and Leonard had kept her as a hostage. But now he was supposed to take them out, and it really wasn't working very well for him. 'Just make them cross the streams', they said. 'It'll be easy', they said. Like this was some stupid Ghostbusters flick.

"You're on thin ice now, Flash!" Leonard called out and Barry sighed, but then his Mentor - Harrison Wells - got an idea.

 _"Maybe the trick is not going faster."_ He said in Barry's ear through the earpiece. _"maybe it's going..._ Slower."

And so Barry did, he walked up to a bit from the pair of rogues and stood still to collect his breath for a second, before slowly walking up to them.

"Thanks for playing, kid." Leonard said, getting ready to fire his gun at him.

Barry started running, and soon both men were firing their guns at him. Barry felt himself slow down, soon he was going as slow as a normal person - but he kept running until-

Their beams crossed. A bright explosion of red and blue erupted and the two men flew in two opposite directions from another - Mick falling unconscious and Leonard temporarily dazed. He lay on the wet ground, and suddenly he was very happy to have his waterproof coat on him. As soon as he had collected himself he rolled over, desperately clawing after his gun to end this once and for all...

And that's when the Flash stepped in and put a foot on the gun.

Leonard laughed. He didn't know why - he honestly couldn't understand how he was so happy about this - but he did. Maybe he was being hysterical? He wasn't sure. What he was sure about was that this had been an experience, and he somehow caught himself feeling something that was almost similar to... _Respect_ for the leather-clad (uh, Len, it's actually a friction reducing tri-polymer-- never mind) man towering over him.

"I didn't see that coming." He said, still somehow cheery for some unknown reason. "That was kind of snow-balsy of you." He then winced in pain before continuing. "I guess you win this time."

Barry just stared down at the man with a scowl. "There won't be a next time, Snart."

Leonard laughed again, rolling over to his back as he tried to catch his breath. "That's cold, Flash. And I wouldn't be so sure."

When they got back to the station all hell broke loose. Mick was screaming and fighting, desperately trying to squirm and twist his way out of the officers' hands as they led him through the station. Joe snickered. "Your partner is a real hot heat." He said, pointedly to Snart.

"That's funny." Leonard replied, his voice - however - telling a whole different story.

"Well, you want to know what's funny Snart?"

"Enlighten me." Snart replied, scoffing at his own joke in his mind.

Joe just smiled smugly at the man. "We got you."

***

Barry's friends were seriously not great at not getting themselves kidnapped. This time it was Cisco. He and his brother Dante was taken by Mick, Leonard and Leonard's sister Lisa - who'd broken the two boys out of their escort van to prison. After a half-assed attempt to stop them - in which Barry had found out that his friend was, indeed, kidnapped - Barry had come to the conclusion that they should really install some sort of panic alarm that people could trigger when they were in trouble.

Barry sighed. Where was Cisco?

***

"I like you, kid." Snart said to Cisco, who was lying on the floor after getting his ass handed to him by Mick. "You're smart, you brought yourself up from humble beginnings..."

Cisco didn't say anything. Snart continued nevertheless.

"I'll let both you and your brother walk, if you just answer one question for me."

Cisco took the bait. "And what question would that be?"

Leonard found himself grinning an almost Cheshire-like grin at the kid. This was it. He would _finally_ do this. After all this time.

"Who _is_ the Flash...?"

***

Leonard opened his eyes as he stumbled forwards - unsure of what the hell had just happened. One moment he was doing a heist, and the next he was standing here - in the middle of a forest.

" _Ice_ to see you again... _Barry_." Leonard greeted, his ever-lasting smirk plastered on his face.

Barry just took off his cowl, staring at the man in front of him with a restrained face as he spoke. "We need to talk."

"I know Cisco told you my secret identity, Snart." He continued, and Leonard smirked at him. "Well, I kind of put him in a difficult spot - you or his brother - what was he going to do?"

"It's kind of like the spot I have you in now, Barry. You can't stop me now that I know your secret."

Barry just scoffed at this. "I could speed you off to my secret prison where you'd never see the light of day again."

"Ouch, that's cold. And that's coming from _me_." Leonard replied, smirk still visible. "But that would mean that there was nobody to stop my scheduled transmission ready to send out your identity to whoever wants to listen."

Barry sighed and turned his face away. "I can't let you take what you want, whenever you want it." He said, voice as loud and clear as daylight. "It needs to end."

"Can't do that."

"And why's that?"

"This is who I am, this is what I do."

"Then find a new line of work! Get yourself a job at the skating rink, I don't care!" Barry countered, getting frustrated and annoyed at the man in front of him.

"Can't do that either."

Barry rubbed his temples in annoyance. _"Why?_

Leonard shrugged. "Don't want to."

Barry felt like he was going to have an aneurism. "Oh, yeah? And why's that?"

"The same reason you do it. The adrenaline, the thrill of the chase." Barry just shook his head at Leonard's words. "I love this game. And I'm _very_ good at it." Leonard continued, not caring about the Flash's obvious disapproval.

"Then go play it somewhere else. Leave Central City." Barry finally said, wanting to cut this conversation short before he stressed himself to death.

"Not going to happen. I love it here." He took a short pause to loudly sniff the air. "It's my home. And you know what they say... There's snow place like home."

Barry just scoffed, a disbelieving smile making its way across his face. Leonard stopped breathing for a second. The Flash - Barry Allen - took a few attentive steps towards his enemy.

"You've seen what I can do." He started, walking towards him. "You know that I can stop you."

Leonard released the breath that he'd been holding out of his nose before the man could come close enough to hear it.

"If you want to keep pushing your luck, go for it." Barry continued, now well inside Leonard's personal space. Yet Leonard somehow didn't mind it. "But from here on out, no one else dies. If you're as good as you say you are - and I can attend to that - then you don't need to kill anyone to get what you want."

Leonard just looked at Barry, taking in his features in the dim lightening of the moon - and couldn't help but to notice the feeling welling up in his chest. _'Goddamnit.'_ He thought to himself as the Flash took another couple of steps towards him - now within touching range. "And if anyone in your little... Rogues gallery, ever messes with me or any of my friends again, I don't care who you tell my identity to. I'm putting you away, for good."

Leonard literally had to stop himself from licking his lips as he took one step closer to Barry, locking eyes with him. "I guess your secret is safe... _Flash_."

Barry smiled, and Leonard had to remind himself who this man in front of him was so that he didn't do anything stupid. Like hug him. Or kiss him. He watched as Barry took on his cowl again, an annoyed glint in the Flash's eyes. "So is there any chance that I could get a lift back to town?" Leonard asked, and Barry just scoffed at him - his smile growing wider before he sped off - leaving Leonard all by himself.

Leonard sighed, a smile on his face. What a lovable douche.

"

***

At a bar called Sinners&Saints, stood Leonard Snart. He's just ordered his drink - ice cold - and was waiting for the bartender to arrive with it. He suddenly felt this... Presence behind him. A presence he'd recognize anywhere. "Well, well, well... If it's not the Scarlet Speedster." He said, turning around to meet the man standing a few feet behind him.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Barry just sighed, raising one of the hands formerly stuffed in his pocket to wave Leonard towards one of the tables to sit down. Neither of them would ever admit to shrieking the word 'date' in their heads as they sat down, opposite of each other at the table.

"You want anything to eat?" Leonard asked as they sat down. "The pickled eggs here are fantastic."

"No thanks." Barry said, seemingly both nervous and annoyed at the same time. A strange combination that Leonard was pretty used to by now. "I need your help with a problem." Barry continued and Leonard raised an eyebrow at the man.

"Not really my kind of job, but I'll bite. What's the problem." Leonard asked, and if anybody ever tried to tell him that he got a look of hope in his eye as Barry asked for help, he would freeze them to smithereens.

"I need some help transporting a few people out of the city."

"How many?"

"Too many." Barry replied under his breath, but quickly recollected himself. "Five."

Leonard assumed there was more to this, so he sat in silence awaiting the continuation.

"Five very bad, very angry people... With powers."

Leonard almost scoffed. "And you want me to do what...? _Freeze_ the problem? Protect you in case anything should go wrong?" He asked, ignoring the feeling he got in his chest when he pictured himself saving Barry's life. Barry just nodded reluctantly.

"I'm sorry, Barry, but I'm not going to help you usher _your_ enemies out of town like some glorified über driver." Leonard replied, standing up to go order himself another drink because God help him, he really did need one.

"Hey, they're not just my enemies, they're your enemies too, you know." Barry said, standing up and grabbing Leonard by the arm to stop him from leaving. Neither of them commented on the spark that flew between them where Barry had grabbed him.

"Somehow I doubt that."

The two men just looked at each other, face to face, uncomfortably close for both of them yet neither of them stepped back. Barry sighed, breaking eye contact as he recalled something from their last discussion. "They will destroy Central City." He argued - almost pleaded. Leonard's eyes softened at Barry's soft voice. He couldn't help but to wonder what else was soft... No! No thinking about kissing your enemy, stop that.

Leonard turned his face away, straining to keep his breathing in check. "That's not my problem."

Barry started getting frustrated, giving him that crease on his forehead that Leonard found oddly endearing. This time he didn't look. "You said you loved it here." Barry pointed out. "That this is your home."

Leonard made himself meet Barry's determined eyes. "I do and it is."

"Well, guess what. These people get loose, and there won't be a city to love anymore." Barry said, but he soon realized that Leonard needed just a little more to agree to his proposal. Barry delivered the finishing blow. "There won't be anybody to rob if everybody's dead."

Leonard looked down for a second, thinking about what the worst thing that could happen was. He quickly pushed that away, already filing on his plan. "You make a compelling argument."

He sat down again, picking up a pen and a paper to scribble something down. "You don't seem to have noticed it yet, but I'm not actually anice guy." Leonard started. "Somehow I doubt that." Barry just huffed. "Whichever way you meant it." Leonard ignored him. "If I'm going to help you, I'll want something in return." 

"Yeah, what's that?"

Leonard smiled at the man's naïvety. Or was it ignorance? "This." He replied, sliding the paper towards Barry.

After some dubious arguing, Leonard left, humming along to the song playing on the jukebox as Barry was left standing there with the paper in his hand - wondering what the hell he was supposed to do. _"You're as cold as ice, as cold as ice~"_

What Barry hadn't realized when he stuffed the paper down his pocket to leave the bar, was that in one of the corners Leonard had scribbled down his cell phone number.

***

Barry lay on the ground, grunting softly as he tried to regain his shattered pride. It wasn't working very well for him. Leonard walked up to him, kneeling down next to the man.

"You sabotaged the truck, didn't you?"

Leonard smiled, a real smile - not a smirk. "It seems you've caught me sled-handed, Flash." Barry just groaned at the pun.

"Seriously?! A pun? _Now?!_ "

"Always. " Leonard just replied.

"Why'd you do it?"

"Pull the pun or sabotage your plans?"

Barry glared at Leonard. "The plans, asshat."

"Ow, my pride." Leonard replied sarcastically. "Because, Barry-" He started, tilting his head to the side as he spoke, an edge to his voice. "I'm a thief, and a criminal. I rob people... And I hurt people." He sounded almost sad as he said those last words, and right about then he wished he'd kept his goggles on so that Barry couldn't see his eyes.

It had hurt him to have to do this. He didn't know why, Barry was never actually in danger. But to hurt the trust that Barry seemed to have for him somehow felt... Wrong. he couldn't place the feeling but, if he had to guess, he would maybe even have said _shame_.

"And now these people owe me." Leonard continued. "I saw a chance, and I took it. Now if you excuse me..." He started to stand up, dusting some non-existent dust off of his clothes. "... I have to go. See you later~"

Barry let his head fall to the cold, hard ground with a thud. And once again the familiar phrase graced his mind with its annoying presence... 

What a douche.

***

Barry ran. He ran and he ran, because he knew where Leonard was. His sister had come looking for help at STAR Labs, telling the tale of how her older brother had gone missing. Barry didn't know why he was so worried. Leonard was a criminal, a crook. The last time Barry had seen him, Leonard had just betrayed him, left him powerless on the ground after having had his ass handed to him by the metas that Leonard had let out.

Barry should probably not be worried about Leonard. But he was.

God, he was. Why? Had this been any other random citizen, he'd be a little worried - but not like _this_. Had he somehow started to like this guy? Did he view him as someone he cared about...?

Leonard was hardly on his christmas card list. They weren't friends. They were _enemies_.

_Nemesises._

_"You can't spell 'Your Nemesis' without 'Miss You'."_ His own damn words fled through his mind as he ran. What the hell had that been? Why'd he even said that? Barry honestly couldn't remember what had possessed him to utter such a phrase. He did _not_ harbor any kind of posetive emotions for Leonard Snart. Be it familiar, platonic or romantic.

Wait... _Romantic?_ Nu-uh, no way. Barry was not setting foot in that territory. He was leaving this monolog argument to die, like it deserved to, and focused on getting to the place Cisco had said Leonard would be at.

Barry soon arrived and he immediately heard a low thud from somewhere. He quickly rushed there, worried for his... Comrade.

Leonard came strolling down the hallway like he didn't have a care in the world.

"Snart." Barry whispered, catching Leonard's attention. Leonard looked a tad confused, but he disguised it well. As did he with the momentary wave of glee that caught him at the sight of Barry.

"Barry." He shout-whispered back.

Barry was by now pretty confused. "Are you okay?"

Leonard looked as if he thought about his answer for a second - probably sarcastically thought - before he replied. 

"Peachy." He said, and then continued down the hallway. Barry quickly followed him. "Okay. Well, uhh... I'm supposed to be here to rescue you."

Leonard almost snorted. As if. He picked up some papers by a printing machine, pretend-looking in them as if he were actually interested in them. 

He wasn't. "That's not necessary, you can - you know - speed along now." He replied with a wave of his hand, secretly happy that the scarlet speedster would come to rescue _him_.

"Uh-huh..." Barry huffed, arms crossed over his chest. "You know if these people are making you do anything, Le-"

"Nobody is making me do anything!" Leonard snapped, pointing his gun at Barry. Approaching footsteps could be heard, Leonard almost panicked.

"Quick!" He shout-whispered. "Pretend you're hurt."

Barry raised a confused eyebrow. "Huh? Why would I-"

Leonard sighed and shot Barry with the cold gun reluctantly - not enough to actually hurt him, but enough to make it look real. "Lay down and pretend to be hurt, I said!" He continued, still whispering but in a very loud voice.

Barry listened to him and dropped to the floor, groaning as if he was in pain.

"What's taking so long?" Came a voice, and a man walked into the room.

"I got held up." Leonard replied, winking at Barry to keep the act up.

"Always the excuse with you, I-" The man saw Barry on the floor. "Well, well, well. Lookie what we have here... If it's not The Flash."

Barry continued his pretend-whimpering. "Well, son, let's go. We're behind schedule."

"Why don't you just... _Chill_ here for a moment, Flash?" Leonard said, a knowing smirk on his face. And with another cheeky wink, he was gone, just a few steps after his father. Barry sighed. Lisa had some real explaining to do. And so did Leonard.

***

Barry walked into Saints and Sinners with a scowl on his face and waltzed up directly to the table where Leonard sat all by himself, some pickled eggs on his plate. Barry sat down, scowl not leaving his face.

"You shot me." He just said, a childish tone to his voice - but also filled with anger.

"Oh, was that you? I didn't see - those goggles really block your ice-ite."

"Icy what you did there, but don't try to joke your way out of this." Barry replied coldly (Hah! Get it, coldly? Sorry.)

"Pass me the salt." Leonard said in stead, somehow making it sound both like a polite question and a rude demand at the same time. Barry reached out and slid the salt across the table to him.

"Don't spill - it's bad luck." He said, almost like a challenge. Leonard didn't even meet his gaze as he sprinkled some salt on his eggs and then put the shaker down on its side.

"So why are you working with Lewis? I thought you hated him." Barry started, both his voice and tone softer than before.

Leonard looked around the table, as if he was searching for something. Barry figured the only thing he was actually searching for was his words, but it seemed he settled for a toothpick which he picked up and plucked in his mouth before answering. "Things are... Complicated with family. As you know with your own parents, hmm?" That last thing was said with something that sounded almost like malice to Barry. He found himself more than a little annoyed by Leonard's words, but decided not to punch his teeth in here, right at this moment.

"Tell me what's going on." He said in stead. "Let me help you." Leonard noticed the slightest hint of a plea in Barry's tone. He disregarded it.

"Don't try to save people who don't want to be saved, Barry."

"Stop trying to ice-olate yourself from me. Plus, it's not just about you here, Leonard." Barry said, anger in his voice. But the anger didn't take away from the fact that this was probably the first time Barry had used Leonard's first name. And Leonard had to admit that his name hadn't really sounded that good in his ears, well, _ever_. "I bet you there's going to be some innocent civilians who have to suffer, too."

"Don't worry, Barry. I remember our deal - you leave me alone, I make sure no one gets killed."

"Look, you're a criminal, _Snart_." Barry snapped, and Leonard did a face at Barry's sudden relapse into calling him by his surname. Well, well - it was nice while it lasted. "But you live by a code... But it sounds to me like Lewis doesn't."

Leonard just stared at Barry as he chewed his food. Was Barry seriously calling his old man by his first name, but not Leonard? What the hell was that all about. Leonard couldn't even think of another person that Barry knew that he called by their surname. Alright, so maybe Mardon - but that was it. 

"It sounds to me as if he doesn't care if anybody dies... And that's why I can't leave this alone."

Leonard nodded, chewing the last of his bite before he replied. "Then everybody will know who's under that mask."

Barry looked him straight in the eye as he replied. "I don't care. I will take you down... _Both_ of you."

Leonard sighed inaudibly before wiping his hands on his napkin and stood up. "Thanks for dinner, Barry, I owe you one."

Somehow, Barry doubted that he'd ever get that debt paid.

***

Barry was going to pretend to be a criminal. To quote himself: "How difficult could it be?". But as he walked up behind Leonard, who was undoubtedly already aware of Barry's presence, he started to feel a bit nervous.

"These visits are getting old." Leonard said, not even turning around to face Barry.

"Are you sure they're not getting _cold_?" Barry asked, an amused tone to his voice.

"That too."

"Well you know, third time's a charm."

"I told you, Barry. I don't need saving." Leonard said, standing up and pointing his cold gun at Barry.

"Don't try that on me I already know you're not going to do it." Barry huffed. "Plus I'm not here to rescue you, I'm here to rescue Lisa." He continued, and Leonard's face fell, as did his arm holding the gun.

"I know your dad put a bomb in her. Look, don't worry. My team already working on a way to get the bomb out of her, okay?"

Suddenly Lewis came walking in. "I hope you've got that freeze gun of yours ready to blast becau-"

"-It's a cold gun." Barry and Leonard both said at the same time and Lewis looked at Barry in shock. "And who the hell are you?"

Barry froze (hah!). "Uh, well, Lenny said that you needed a new tech." He managed to get out, avoiding to meet Leonard's amused and skeptical gaze that was now directed on him.

"What's up, I'm - uhh - _Sam_." He continued, holding a hand out for Lewis to shake.

Lewis didn't take it. "You're telling me this kid can break into a Draycon keypad?" He asked Leonard. Barry gulped.

"Well..." Barry said. "I _did_ help him steal the Kahndaq Dynasty Diamon from Central City museum last year." He continued, and both Snarts turned their gaze towards him. One more amused, the other intrigued but skeptic. "And that was locked up behind an AmerTek Industries Phase Three Suppression Door with a DrayCon XL-1218 keypad." Barry continued.

Lewis looked impressed, Leonard still had that amused - but strangely proud - look on his face. He looked down to the floor to keep from grinning like an idiot. "Couldn't have done it without him." He said, raising his gaze to meet Barry's, raising his eyebrows slightly as they did lock eyes.

Barry smiled. "DrayCon's my jam."

"Ahh." Lewis said, judging "Sam" as he walked up to him. "Okay, Sam, let's go."

***

Leonard had never really been sure about what he wanted in life. Money? Fame? Power? He couldn't choose. What he did know, was what he _didn't_ want. And _this_ was one of those things.

Barry had been saving guards all over the building. Making sure that Lawis didn't shoot anybody. Leonard almost felt proud of the kid for being so... _Good_ at it. He could sweet-talk his way in and out of almost anything. But not this. Never this.

Barry had just "broken" into the DrayCon. What he'd actually done was to speed-press every single possible code until he found the right one. All in all, it took him around ten seconds. Even Lewis was impressed.

But apparently not impressed enough to spare his life. And so Leonard had to watch one of the last things he wanted in life.

Barry's death.

In a strange way, he almost felt like crying. He couldn't explain why. He wasn't a very teary-eyed person, sure he _did_ care for the kid - maybe even a little too much for his own good - but hardly _that_ much... Right?

_Right?_

Yet, there he was. Staring at Barry's limp body on the floor, wishing it was him in stead. Wow, he was in deep, wasn't he?

But he had a mission. He had to make sure that Lisa was going to be alright, he _had_ to. She was the only one he had left. Especially now that...

... Now that Barry was gone.

He sighed. He wasn't ready for this.

And when Lewis opened the safe, and all that was in there were a dozen puny, little diamonds, Leonard felt himself become enraged. He already _knew_ what was going to be in there. But seeing them in real life - those tiny excuses of treasure - he felt all that anger that he'd suppressed bubble up.

Had Barry - The Flash - seriously died --- _because of these?!_ Had Lewis threatened to kill Lisa -- because of some _stupid, little diamonds?_

He felt like shooting Lewis. Right there, right then.

But he didn't. Not yet. Not now.

Soon the alarm sounded, and he and Lewis started to walk out of there.

And then The Flash arrived. Leonard didn't know if he was supposed to be angry, sad, happy or all of these things combined. Barry was alive. That was good news. _Fantastic_ news, even.

The Flash was alive. Not as good. He raised his cold gun at Barry, but with no intent to fire it.

But Lewis didn't know that.

"What kind of man puts a bomb in his own daughter?" The Flash asked, angry.

"A very rich man." Lewis simply replied, pulling a small device out of his pocket. The device that would blow up the bomb.

"Shoot him, son." He said, one finger on the button. Leonard looked at Barry. The Barry he'd just lost. The Barry whom he'd probably just realized he might have feelings for. The Barry that was sweet, and funny and had a beautiful smile and a fantastic sense of humour. Leonard just looked, counting the seconds in his head until he _had_ to shoot.

"Shoot him!" Lewis said, louder this time.

Leonard stared at Barry, hoping -- _praying_ \-- that Barry would utter those words that he so wanted to hear. That he wouldn't have to kill Barry. Not Barry, anybody but him and Lisa he would shoot.

 _But not Barry_.

Barry lifted a hand towards his ear, a sudden wave of emotions making their way over his face. And then he said the words that Leonard so wanted to hear.

_"Lisa's safe."_

And then all hell broke loose.

***

"Hey." Came Barry's soft voice from the other end of the phone. Leonard smiled at him. A large, happy smile that was way out of character for him, but he didn't care. He hadn't expected to see Barry until he broke out of prison. Yet here he was -- _visiting_ him.

"Hey."

"Nice to see you happy, despite your situation." Barry continued.

"N _ice_ or just nice?" Leonard asked, an amused smirk on his face.

"Whichever one of your choosing."

"N _ice_ it is."

Barry smiled. "Don't you ever get tired of cold puns, Leonard?" and Leonard could do nothing but to feel his heart skip a beat at the familiarity between them.

"When hell freezes over."

Barry laughed. "Your puns make me shiver, Snart!" He smiled and Leonard quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Oh yeah? Is it the good kind of shivering, or..?" He replied, a suggestive smirk on his lips. Barry gulped. "Uhhh..."

Leonard laughed at him. Not a mean laugh, but a happy one.

"Wow, you're really in a good mood today, huh? What's got your lights up?"

Leonard just looked at Barry for a second before answering. "You." He replied.

"Huh?" Barry asked, dumbfounded, and a scarlet blush made its way across his cheeks.

"You heard me, Scarlet."

They just sat in silence for a few moment, neither of them saying anything, until Leonard took a deep breath. "Either way, remember how I owed you a dinner?" He asked, and Barry just nodded.

"How about - when I get out of here - I'll take you up on that?"

Barry scoffed. "What, in ten to fifteen years?"

"No." Leonard replied with a smirk that made Barry's intestines knot themselves. "I was thinking next Tuesday, 8 PM - at Saints and Sinners?"

Barry scoffed. "Yeah, if you can make it there by then I promise I'll let you take me to dinner."

Leonard smiled. "Great, what'd you like to eat then?"

Barry smirked. "I was thinking _chilly_."

Leonard pretend-winced at the pun. "Ooow, that one hurt. That was a whole other degree."

Barry just laughed at him as the guards signaled that it was time to wrap it up soon. "Ah, well, I guess this will have to suffice for now." Barry said with a sigh.

"Was that another cold pun?"

"... Not an intentional one."

Leonard smiled. "What did I do to deserve you, Barry?"

"I don't know, I'm not entirely sure you do." He dead-panned, but Leonard just laughed at him. "But you know - I think I've got an idea." Barry continued.

"Yeah?"

"Well, you're just the Ice Guy. And me, I'm the Just-Ice guy." Barry said, smiling towards Leonard.

"That's not even how you pronounce that word." He replied, making him remember something from all that time ago, when they first met.

Barry smiled. "Does it look as if I care?"

***

Barry showed up at Saints and Sinners at the agreed upon time, and was pleasantly surprised to see Leonard sitting at his usual spot. He walked up to him and sat down. "Let me guess - I don't want to know?" He asked, and Leonard just shook his head.

"Nah."

"You truly are one of a kind, Leonard." Barry smiled, a slightly disbelieving smile at his date.

"As are you."

"Eh-" Barry muttered, a blush creeping its way onto his cheeks. Leonard found it adorable.

"What, you getting cold feet or something?" He asked Barry, and the later just sent him a glare.

"Could you please cool it with the temperature puns, please."

Leonard scoffed. "Look who's talking."

"Whatever, this discussion will only end up with absolute zero."

"You're mixing science with my cold puns?"

"Who says they're _your_ cold puns?"

Barry countered and the two men laughed, continuing with their - relatively fruitless - conversation as the evening progressed. When they had finished eating and were slowly walking away from the bar, Leonard stopped Barry and looked the other man.

He took a deep breath. "What?" Barry just asked, an unknowing smile on his face. Leonard smiled, and slowly leaned forward - connecting their lips in a sweet kiss. And all Barry could think about was how damn _cold_ Leonard's lips were.

When they broke apart they were smiling, arms in arms with each other, determined to figure this brand new relationship of their's out.

And as they looked into each others' eyes, happy and content with what life brought them. Leonard finally found the words that he'd been wanting to say.

_"You've melted my frozen heart, Barry."_

**_The End_ **

**Author's Note:**

> Alright so this was supposed to be way shorter and _way_ more humorus when I planned it out. But now when it's done I realize I might even have to add "angst" as a tagg... Wow. This this really escalated out of control. It was supposed to be a short humour fic, but it ended up taking all afternoon and evening to write (I had to watch all the episodes, y'know).
> 
> So yeah, hope you liked it. Leave a kudos and a comment if you did, and I'll be seein' you at my other fics? c;


End file.
